Jennie seems to lose control of her mouth, for she suddenly can’t seem to close it. Maybe from shock, or from anger, or from any other feeling that is not happiness, or delight, or joy.

Because Lisa just has to say that she likes Sehun.

“But I’m not sure yet! I just think that I like him.” Lisa quickly recants what she just uttered as she frantically shakes her hands in front as to erase the words she said.

“… Shut up.” Jennie mutters too soft that Lisa wasn’t able to hear it the first time.

So Lisa only continues to be a blabbering mess, “I-I just think, okay, Jennie? I’m not really su–”

“I said ‘Shut up’!!!” Jennie screams and it does shut Lisa up. With the mix of fear and hurt canvassed on Lisa’s face when she does.

And Jennie feels the familiar pang stike her chest once more – that heavy feeling whenever she sees Lisa hurt, more so when it’s because of her.

“Is it because of his stupid pick-up lines?” Jennie shuts her eyes as she clenches some of her hair on top of her head out of frustration, “Is it because of how touchy he gets? Is it because of what he says? What he does to you?”

Jennie hurls each question and she doesn’t know why it sounds so sour when they come out of her mouth. Harsh in a way that it shouldn’t – especially when it’s not as bitter as she thinks when the questions are in her mind.

She takes a lungful of air first before trying her best to look at Lisa, and her breath tangles in her throat with how Lisa continues to look at her.

Because now Lisa looks at her with pity.

“Get out.” Jennie exhales, she feels dizzy, “Just… Just get out and leave me alone.”

She decides to rid of the confusion they both have by adding, “You never listen to what I say, you never take my reminders about him. Get out of my room.”

Jennie continues to shut her eyes tight when she hears the door closing. It was only then that she opens them again and she feels how hot her eyes had become – like fire was set into them, though it was smooth liquid threatening to break out.

And she’s quick to dismiss the tears she knows are swelling up, because she doesn’t cry. Why would she? Why would she even?

But the thought of Lisa, being with Sehun, is enough for her to feel that same warmth in her eyes, and the same twinge in her heart.

------------------

Jennie stares at her ceiling as she lies on her bed. After the exchange of words with Lisa, she was not able to think of words anymore.

Her mind is blank, her eyes – she knows – are dull, and her heart – she doesn’t want to admit – is somehow empty.

She lazily raises a hand towards the lightbulb on her ceiling, as if she can reach it. She closes her eyes as she exhales, trying to keep her mind at ease.

But her little meditation is ruined when her phone rings and she sees the caller I.D. of the person. She scoffs as it’s the same person whose been pestering her unknowingly the past few days.

Sehun.

Her own cousin.

How can she hate him this much?

She thinks it rude if she doesn’t answer, so even with all her guts telling her – begging her – not to answer, she still does,

“What?” She spits the word.

“… Hey, Jennie,” She hears Sehun say softly from the other side – and Jennie instantly stiffens because she knows that this is something serious.

With how he addressed her by her real name and with how he said it, Jennie knows that Sehun is…nervous.

“What is it?” Jennie repeats more gently now, “Is everything okay?”

Maybe she doesn’t hate him that much, maybe when he’s just all over Lisa, and that’s when Jennie loses it.

“I-I want to talk about something.” Sehun trails off, “Would you mind if I go over there now?”

“If you’re pulling a prank just to see Lisa in her bed clothes, then I won’t allow you.”

Jennie says without a second to spare.

“No, no!” Sehun is also quick to defend himself, “I actually don’t want Lisa to know I’ll go over there. Just…, please? I really, really need your advice.”

Jennie doesn’t know that she can stiffen so much more after that, because she already has a hunch with what this will all be about.

But she can’t just say ‘no’ to her cousin, not when he’s this desperate.

“Fine.” Jennie sighs, “Just call me again if you’re already here.”

“Yes! Thank you, Jennie! Please don’t tell Lisa!”

Jennie bites her lip first, because she knows shewon’t like where this will go,

“… Sure.”

-------------------

“Okay, spill it out.” Jennie crosses her arms the moment Sehun settles on the couch.

“Okay,” Sehun momentarily closes his eyes as he exhales, “Jendeuk, please don’t laugh on what I’m about to say, okay?”

“As long as it’s not funny.” Jennie shrugs.

“Jennie.” Sehun pleads.

“Fine!”

“Okay!” Sehun rubs his hands together, indicating that he really is nervous, “Jennie,” He stares at Jennie first, “I’ll… I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Jennie scrunches her eyebrows, unsure of where the laughing matter is in there, or unsure of what she has to reply to that – because she knows she’s too happy to know that.

“And?” Jennie probes him to continue.

And that’s when all the muscles and nerves in Jennie start contracting again,

Because Sehun finally says why he’s in Jennie’s house the first place,

“I’m planning to confess to Lisa.”

------------------

“Don’t laugh, Jennie!” Sehun covers his face in embarrassment.

And even when he says it to Jennie, Jennie not even once laughed after what he said.

If possible, she’s become mute.

“A-Are you serious?” Jennie manages to say the least.

“Y-Yes, Jennie.” Sehun bites his lip as he continues to hang his head low, “And I know what you’ll say, that I’ll treat Lisa like the others, that I’ll just play with her and toss her like she meant nothing, but Jennie!” He looks up at Jennie, “For the first time in a long time,” And he says it so seriously, Jennie has to clench her hands, “I’m serious about her.”

Jennie can only stand there, not knowing what to say anymore. Because she herself is unsure of what to say – of what to feel about it.

When she knows she should be supporting Sehun since he’s finally having a change of heart – the change she so badly wanted for him to have, but she can’t seem to like the idea that Sehun’s having it because of Lisa.

Lisa who had been acquainted with her far too long than Sehun had been with Lisa.

Lisa who had been with Jennie these past months that Jennie can’t picture with anyone else but her, and her alone.

Lisa who had been giving Jennie these feelings of mixed emotions Jennie doesn’t even know she could feel.

“I…” Jennie manages to start, “I don’t know what to say.” And she honestly doesn’t.

She hears her cousin sigh – maybe out of frustration.

“Jennie, do know that I came here not to ask for your permission,” He starts to smile, “But to let you know that I am planning to go after Lisa,” Now he just starts laughing weakly, “Because I know how irrelevantly possessive and crazy you get over her."

“I mean, seriously, Jennie,” He shrugs, “I don’t blame you for being all over her, but I think it’s too much, don’t you think?”

“Wh-Why do you care? She’s…” Mine? Jennie shakes the word off, “She’s… She’s…”

Sehun waits for her to finish her sentence, but Jennie can’t seem to find the right word for it, so she just says,

“Damn you, Sehun.”

Which makes Sehun laugh, “Oh, Jendeuk. What will I ever do?"

“You see, I already have plans on how to confess,” Sehun says enthusiastically, but Jennie can’t seem to return the same enthusiasm he has, “Would a dinner date seem too formal? Or should I just say it to her while I walk her home? Or should I bring her to somewhere quiet and just blurt out that I like her?"

“Or maybe I give her a bouquet and kneel and confess? Or is that too cheesy?” He continues, not minding if Jennie still follows or not, “What do you think, Jendeuk?”

Jennie snaps out of her thoughts – her thoughts blanked and vacant from all the things she does not want to hear,

“I-I don’t know.” She puts it off with a shrug instead, “Whatever suits your fancy.”

“But everything is my fancy!” Sehun sighs as he opens his arms open in defeat, “I just… I just really,really like Lisa.”

“Really? That much, Sehun?” Jennie decides to sit beside her desperate cousin.

“Yes, Jennie,” He stares straight to her eyes, “That much.”

Jennie can’t help but let the bother inside her take over her being as she completely – and she doesn’t know why – understands Sehun’s extreme liking towards Lisa.

Because Lisa makes her feel the same things.

But Jennie convinces herself that it’s not liking she feels. No, it’s nowhere near that. It’s possessiveness – fondness, she presses – that she has for the other girl.

When she’s far too accustomed to the other’s presence that she’s developed this kind of selfishness towards Lisa.

Because Lisa is supposed to be hers – because Lisa is hers.

Right?

But that thought reaches a full stop when Sehun starts speaking again, “Jennie,”

And Jennie can only look back at him as she continues to stop her thoughts – her thoughts of Lisa being hers – because Sehun says, so nervous and yet so patient,

“Will you please help me?”